Gateway 400 series User Manual

42
Chapter 3: Getting Help
www.gateway.com
Using eSupport
The eSupport site is divided into four major areas:

Support Home

Downloads

Contact Us

Account Info
Each of these areas is represented by a tab across the top of the Web page.
Support Home tab
To get specific information about your computer, type your serial number into 
the My System Information box, then click 
GO, or click Look up my serial number 
for me
. For more information, see “Finding your specifications” on page 12.
The Support...

4
43
Windows Basics
Read this chapter to learn how to:

Use the Windows desktop

Manage files and folders

Wo r k  w i t h  d o c u m e n t s

Use shortcuts 

44
Chapter 4: Windows Basics
www.gateway.com
About the Windows environment
After your computer starts, the first screen you see is the Windows desktop. The 
desktop is like the top of a real desk. Think of the desktop as your personalized 
work space where you open programs and perform other tasks.
Your desktop may be different from this example, depending on how your 
computer is set up.
Help and 
SupportFor more information about the Windows XP desktop, click 
Start, then click Help and Support.
Type...

45
Using the desktop
www.gateway.com
Using the desktop
The desktop contains the taskbar, the Start button, and the Recycle Bin icon.
Using the Start menu
You can start programs, open files, customize your system, get help, search for 
files and folders, and more using the Start menu.
To use the Start menu:
1Click the Start button on the lower left of the Windows desktop. The Start 
menu opens showing you the first level of menu items.
2Click All Programs to see all programs and files in the Start menu....

46
Chapter 4: Windows Basics
www.gateway.com
3Click a file or program to open it.
Adding icons to the desktop
You may want to add an icon (shortcut) to the desktop for a program that you 
use frequently.
To add icons to the desktop:
1Click Start, then click All Programs.
2Right-click (press the right touchpad button) the program that you want 
to add to the desktop.
Help and 
SupportFor more information about the Windows XP Start menu, 
click Start, then click Help and Support.
Type the keyword Windows...

47
Identifying window items
www.gateway.com
3Click Send To, then click Desktop (create shortcut). A shortcut icon for that 
program appears on the desktop.
Identifying window items
When you double-click the icon for a drive, folder, file, or program, a window 
opens on the desktop. This example shows the Local Disk (C:) window, which 
opens after you double-click the 
Local Disk (C:) icon in the My Computer window.
Help and 
SupportFor more information about desktop icons in Windows XP, 
click Start,...

48
Chapter 4: Windows Basics
www.gateway.com
Every program window looks a little different because each has its own menus, 
icons, and controls. Most windows include these items:
Window item Description
The title bar is the horizontal bar at the top 
of a window that shows the window title.
Clicking the minimize button reduces the 
active window to a button on the taskbar. 
Clicking the program button in the taskbar 
opens the window again.
Clicking the maximize button expands the 
active window to fit...

49
Working with files and folders
www.gateway.com
Working with files and folders
You can organize your files and programs to suit your preferences much like 
you would store information in a file cabinet. You can store these files in folders 
and copy, move, and delete the information just as you would reorganize and 
throw away information in a file cabinet.
Viewing drives
Drives are like file cabinets because they hold files and folders. A computer 
almost always has more than one drive. Each drive has...

50
Chapter 4: Windows Basics
www.gateway.com
To see the files and folders on a drive:

Double-click the drive icon. If you do not see the contents of a drive after 
you double-click its icon, click 
Show the contents of this drive.
Creating folders
Folders are much like the folders in a file cabinet. They can contain files and 
other folders.
Files are much like paper documents—letters, spreadsheets, and pictures—that 
you keep on your computer. In fact, all information on a computer is stored 
in...

51
Working with files and folders
www.gateway.com
To create a folder:
1Click Start, then click My Computer on the Start menu.
2Double-click the drive where you want to put the new folder. Typically, 
Local Disk (C:) is your hard drive and 3½ Floppy (A:) is your optional 
diskette drive. If you do not see the contents of the drive, click 
Show the 
contents of this drive
.
3If you want to create a new folder inside an existing folder, double-click 
the existing folder. If you do not see the contents of...